Ed Sheeran is an English singer-songwriter whose loop-pedal acoustic pop has made him one of the best-selling music artists of his generation. Born Edward Christopher Sheeran on February 17, 1991, in Halifax, West Yorkshire, he is known for “The A Team”, “Thinking Out Loud”, “Shape of You” and “Perfect”, for record-breaking stadium tours, and for writing hits for other artists as well as himself.
Quick facts: Full name: Edward Christopher Sheeran. Born: February 17, 1991, Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. Nationality: English. Occupation: Singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer. Known for: +, ×, ÷, =, Play; “Shape of You”; the Mathematics Tour. Spouse: Cherry Seaborn (married 2019). Children: Two daughters. Awards: Four Grammy Awards; MBE (2017).
Early life and background
Sheeran was born in Halifax and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, where his family moved when he was young, according to Britannica and AllMusic. He began writing songs at around age eleven and self-released early EPs while still at school, including The Orange Room (2005), before moving to London to build a following through independent releases and live shows.
Breakthrough: No. 5 Collaborations Project and +
Sheeran’s breakthrough came in early 2011 with the self-released EP No. 5 Collaborations Project, recorded with London grime and hip-hop artists, which reached number two on the UK iTunes chart despite having no major-label backing. That success led to a deal with Asylum Records. His major-label debut album, + (pronounced “plus”), arrived in September 2011 and reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. Its first single, “The A Team”, a sombre acoustic song about a drug-addicted young woman, earned Sheeran his first Grammy nomination, for Song of the Year.
Global stardom: × and ÷
His second album, × (“multiply”, June 2014), topped charts on both sides of the Atlantic, driven by “Sing” and the ballad “Thinking Out Loud”, which became a wedding staple and won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 2016. Sheeran also became a sought-after songwriter for others, co-writing Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself”, which topped charts worldwide in 2015. His third album, ÷ (“divide”, March 2017), became the best-selling album worldwide that year, powered by “Castle on the Hill”, “Perfect” and “Shape of You”, which spent twelve weeks at number one in the United States. ÷ won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2018, and “Shape of You” won Best Pop Solo Performance. The accompanying Divide Tour became, at the time, the highest-grossing tour in history.
Collaborations, equals and the mathematics era
Sheeran returned with No. 6 Collaborations Project (2019), an album of duets with artists including Justin Bieber, Cardi B, Camila Cabello, Bruno Mars and Stormzy. His fifth studio album, = (“equals”, October 2021), written as he became a father, topped charts with “Bad Habits” and “Shivers”. He had been appointed MBE in 2017 for services to music and charity, and founded his own label, Gingerbread Man Records.
Subtract, Autumn Variations and Play
Sheeran released two albums in 2023: − (“subtract”, May 2023), a stripped-back record produced with Aaron Dessner of The National, and Autumn Variations (September 2023), a set of songs about friends going through life changes. His eighth studio album, Play, followed on September 12, 2025, heralded by the single “Azizam” and by “Sapphire”, a collaboration with Indian playback singer Arijit Singh that blended Punjabi vocals with Sheeran’s pop writing. The four-year Mathematics Tour, named for his symbols albums, wrapped in September 2025; Forbes reported it grossed $875.7 million, making it the fourth-highest-grossing tour of all time.
A Bollywood debut in 2026
On November 2, 2026, the first song from Shah Rukh Khan’s film King was released to coincide with Khan’s 61st birthday. “Tu Mil Jaaye”, composed by Sachin-Jigar with Hindi lyrics by Kumaar, features Arijit Singh and Madhubanti Bagchi alongside an English rap written and performed by Sheeran, as reported by The Telegraph and Gulf News. Sheeran said he wrote and recorded his verse on the same night he met the composers, during a visit to Khan’s Mumbai home, Mannat, to ask Khan to appear in the video for “Sapphire”. The film King, directed by Siddharth Anand and starring Khan with Deepika Padukone, is scheduled for release on December 24, 2026. Sheeran’s appearance marks his first Bollywood film song.
Personal life
Sheeran married his childhood friend Cherry Seaborn in a small ceremony in January 2019. The couple have two daughters, Lyra Antarctica, born in 2020, and Jupiter, born in 2022, and have kept their family life largely private. In his 2023 documentary series The Sum of It All, Sheeran spoke openly about a difficult period in 2022, when Seaborn was diagnosed with a tumour while pregnant with their second child, and about the death of his close friend and collaborator Jamal Edwards. Sheeran has also twice won high-profile copyright cases over his songwriting: a London court ruled in 2022 that “Shape of You” did not infringe another song, and a New York jury cleared “Thinking Out Loud” in 2023.
Net worth snapshot
Ed Sheeran’s net worth is estimated at £410 million on the Sunday Times Rich List 2026, equivalent to more than $547 million, while Celebrity Net Worth puts it at about $400 million — the gap reflects different methods, not a single audited total. Read the full breakdown in Ed Sheeran’s net worth.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Ed Sheeran in 2026?
Ed Sheeran was born on February 17, 1991, in Halifax, West Yorkshire, so he turned 35 in February 2026.
What is Ed Sheeran best known for?
Ed Sheeran is best known for the hit songs “The A Team”, “Thinking Out Loud”, “Shape of You” and “Perfect”, and for albums +, x, divide, equals and Play, performed with a loop pedal and an acoustic guitar.
Is Ed Sheeran married?
Yes. Ed Sheeran married Cherry Seaborn, his childhood friend, in January 2019. They have two daughters, Lyra Antarctica, born in 2020, and Jupiter, born in 2022.
What is Ed Sheeran’s new song in 2026?
Ed Sheeran wrote and performed an English rap on “Tu Mil Jaaye”, the first song from Shah Rukh Khan’s film King, released on November 2, 2026, alongside Arijit Singh and Madhubanti Bagchi.
How many Grammy Awards has Ed Sheeran won?
Ed Sheeran has won four Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year for “Thinking Out Loud” and Best Pop Vocal Album for divide. He was also appointed MBE in 2017.
Sources
Britannica: Ed Sheeran; AllMusic: Ed Sheeran biography; Forbes: The Highest-Paid Musicians of 2025; The Telegraph: One night at Mannat; Gulf News: Ed Sheeran’s Bollywood debut; Celebrity Net Worth: Ed Sheeran.